The subject matter disclosed herein relates to an imaging and navigation system.
Atrial fibrillation is characterized by very rapid uncoordinated electrical signals in the atria of the heart resulting in a rapid and irregular heart beat. Atrial fibrillation can significantly impact a patient's quality of life producing symptoms such as shortness of breath, weakness, difficulty exercising, sweating, dizziness, and fainting. In some patients, atrial fibrillation can be associated with increased risk of stroke, heart failure, or heart muscle disease. It is known to treat atrial fibrillation using a process referred to as cardiac ablation wherein a small section of heart tissue is killed or otherwise rendered inactive thereby breaking the electrical pathways causing the fibrillation.
One problem with interventional procedures such as cardiac ablation is that it is difficult to precisely direct treatment to targeted anatomic regions without damaging surrounding tissue. Another problem with these procedures is that it is difficult to visualize and access appropriate anatomic regions in a minimally invasive manner such that the risk of complications and patient recovery time are minimized.